The Circle Interchange, or Spaghetti Bowl, as it was dubbed by radio traffic reporters, was built in stages from 1955 to 1962 to connect three major
expressways
west of the Loop—today the Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Dan Ryan. The interchange, a series of expanding concentric circular patterns of ramps, quickly became one of the nation's most heavily used traffic nexuses. The complex also lent its name to the
University of Illinois
campus built nearby, which for a time was known as the Chicago Circle campus.